Dial M for Murderousness

More jumbled up thoughts on the Pillowman -

I think the ending is a little too wrapped-up-perfect in relation to the tone set by all the other stories. The fact that Ariel doesn't burn the stories and they live on is such a weaker ending than any other story creating the effect that McDonagh's story is actually the worst story of all. I don't like these parts where "Katurian" steps out of himself to talk about being fashionably downbeat, and ending things more in the "spirit of things." I understand what he's trying to say, but I think he is wrong...I think its against the Spirit of the play- perhaps a little copoutish.


Whoa, whoa, whoa Dr. Lennon, or should I call you Jason Bourne, lets not get carried away.

I'm not sure there is any commentary about society and how we treat prisoners and the rights of criminals or suspects. I don't think you can draw a legitimate connection between Michal's torture/murders and the current media, etc. I believe most of the totalitatian background is more simply a narrative device that allows us to believe Katurian might be just a really good innocent writer and that's why he's there, that allows us not to question the torture techniques of detectives, and makes for a more dramatic ending of instant execution. Its a story - you don't want people asking too many questions, playing detective to the accuracy/believablility of your story right. I think McDonagh makes this point during Turloski's story of the deaf boy when Katurian asks how the old man knew he was deaf and Turloski says he could see the hearing aid. He also makes this point in that Michal commits the murders to find out how believable the stories are.

Then of course there is the whole storyteller/oral tradition thing tied into this. I was not familiar with the story of the pied piper, but it has some obvious connections. As I mentioned before I think a lot of the stories are kind of reworks of traditional tales - with new twists, etc. Does it matter who tells each of the stories? What about the questions, interaction while the story is being told?

Did the Little Jesus story read like a bad bar joke to anyone else?

The Orange book, the muder very Halloween appropriate...nice.

Credibility....ah yes...again. Basically we can't believe anything anyone has said in any of these stories. We can't believe any of this ever happened, everything is a story, everything is a lie? Did Katurian frame his brother and really commit it all himself? Did the police make all this up and are just mentally torturing them both. Is Michal really dead? Is the whole play the Pillowman's stroy for young Michal on the eve of his torture? Basically we are left to believe whatever we want - similar to The Lady or the Tiger that I mentioned in a previous post. It kind of reminds me of the movie Memento a little. I love it and am frustrated by it at once.

How does Ariel, his sympathy in not burning the stories and his own stories (giving sweets to children, his dad hopping in bed with him) work with the rest of the story?
A few last things...

Jeff Goldblum as Tupolski? Horrible, horrible casting job...



This play really makes you think of your favorite stories and it made me recall two stories which I love and remember, but have no idea of their title or author - I have been pondering for days so just thought I'd toss it out there - let me kow if you recognize either and please tell me the author or title so I can look em up

1) A story that is only one or two paragraphs in length that basically describes a General of some Latin American? dictatorship who sits down to dinner with a journalist and describes the current war happening by tossing a paper bag of severed human ears across the table.

2) A Steinbeckesque backdrop of a Dustbowl family during the depression. A wife with starving children. The wife's father is the owner of a Nitroglycerin truck driving entity. The wife's husband is unemployed and cannot find work anyhwere, his family is starving. Basically the Father is presented with the choice of watching his daughter and grandkids starve or giving his son-in-law a job driving a truck full of Notroglycerin, which he knows will end in the son-in-law's death. Complicating things are the son-in-law's pride and his own decision of death vs. pride.

Anyone?.....Anyone?............................Bueller?

BS